So you’ve decided to join the EMR revolution. Welcome! But where to begin? The field is booming- new companies are springing up every day. With so many to choose from, how do you know who to trust? What should you be looking for in an EMR solution provider? Here are a few guidelines:
1. Make sure they have a good general reputation. Ask for references and follow up. Search the internet for feedback from their customers. Have they delivered on their promises? Check with watchdog and consumer protection groups. Have they been accused of unscrupulous practices?
2. Read the contract. Look for hidden fees. What will they charge for product support? Do they offer a maintenance plan? Is there a warranty?
3. Find out how they handle version upgrades. Are upgrades free? If not, do they intend to support older versions of their product? For how long?
4. Are they prepared to customize? Will you have to change your business model to fit the needs of their product? Do they expect you to pay for features you don’t want?*
*Very few EMR providers offer totally customizable products. Click <a href=”http://www.xlemr.com/faq.html” target=”_blank”>here</a> to read more about customization.
Most EMR providers are legitimate and reliable, but there are exceptions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If what you learn makes you feel uneasy, or if the provider won’t give you straight answers, move on and don’t look back. More on shopping in future articles!
Tags: contracts, emr, implementation problems, support, vendor
3 Comments
Fricci - Dec 17, 2008
Hey everybody–
IO Practiceware, which makes EMR and practice management software for ophthalmologists, started a customer service blog for its customers and also the greater ophthalmology community. It’s pretty funny and informative, and might be of some help if you’re shopping around for an EMR system. Check it out: http://iopracticeware.blogspot.com
Politico - Jan 12, 2009
One might consider that any company that does not have either a sufficient number of actual users, or an extremely large amount of money in the bank (such as might be the case for various publically owned companies for which their EMR is merely a small portion of their revenue) is at risk for failure.
Therefore, it might be appropriate to ask how many physician users your prospective EMR has, and then to exclude those which are not large enough.
How many is the proper number? That is clearly a difficult question. 10,000 users is clearly sufficient. 2000 physicians may be sufficient.
100 physicians is probably insufficient to maintain an adequate cash flow to continue development, and I’d be concerned about any program that hasn’t passed that milestone.
Dr. Holder - Jun 6, 2009
We have used Informed Inc. to help us implement our EMR. Extreemly satisfied with their work. No solution is 100%, but our implementation meets all our needs, it is customized. We are using imedica software. Highly recommend all doctors to not go directly to EMR software vendors but work with value providers like Informed. their website is http://www.informed-inc.net.